New Release! Shibusashirazu Orchestra

Hello there,
Here's some belated news of my last release of the year, the new album by Shibusashirazu Orchestra, "shibusai kayou taizen". This is an album of great covers, with guest vocalists. Shibusashirazu are most celebrated for their live shows, but I must say, I think this album is bloody fantastic! This is a really diverse collection of music, and the band play really deeply here. I highly recommend checking it out, along with a few late night sakés!
On a personal note, I'd also like to add that I am celebrating 5 years as a member of Shibusashirazu, and this release is a lovely way to mark that milestone!

渋さ知らズ『渋彩歌謡大全』（CD）2012年11月7日発売価格：3,000円（税込）レーベル:徳間ジャパンTKCA-73836≪収録曲≫1. 帰ろかな　[Vo：泉邦宏]（北島三郎）2. 一週間　[Vo：渡部真一]（ロシア民謡）3. 恋は夢いろ　[Vo：渚ようこ]（西田佐知子）4. Swallowtail Butterfly 〜あいのうた〜（YEN TOWN BAND）5. 黄昏のビギン　[Vo：Sandii]（水原弘）6. RYDEEN（Yellow Magic Orchestra）7. 夢は夜ひらく　[Vo：遠藤ミチロウ]（三上寛）8. 渡　[Vo：坂本美雨]（渋さ知らズ）9. 黒い花びら　[Vo：三上寛]（水原弘）10. 悪漢　[Vo：Keyco]（渋さ知らズ）11. Ponta De Areia（Wayne Shorter）12. 君は答えよ　[Vo：渡部真一]（東郷健/薔薇門）※（）内はオリジナルアーティスト 〇コメント〇渋さ知らズの初カヴァー・アルバム。ヴォーカリストには、遠藤ミチロウ、三上寛、渚ようこ、Sandii、坂本美雨、Keyco、泉邦宏、渡部真一とジャンルを超えた個性的なアーティストが参加。昭和の名曲から、「Swallowtail Butterfly〜あいのうた〜」まで、渋さ知らズならではの選曲。


ALSO, there's a great opportunity to hear this material live, as we play at Shibuya O-East on January 13th, with the wonderful Chara as special guest.

会場：東京都　渋谷 O-EAST
出演：渋さ知らズ大オーケストラ
ゲスト：Chara
料金：前売4,000円　当日4,500円

『渋さ知らズ大オーケストラ　ワンマンライブ』

2013年1月13日（日）OPEN 17:00 / START 18:00

Hope to see you there! XXXX

My New Tuba

I suppose you could say that I have an old-school British brass player's approach to equipment. I settled on the tuba which suited my needs best (a Besson BE-983) and found the mouthpiece which suited me best (thanks Andy Grappy!), and I've stuck with that. I'm very much a believer in not fixing things which aren't broken. That instrument has been my main tuba and has served me fantastically well in the wide range of music I am involved in (see here).
Maybe once or twice a year, I might have popped into a tuba shop to try some different models, and I was very pleased never to have found anything which I wanted to play for more than about 5 minutes. That was until I had a blow on a YFB-821, five years ago, and suddenly an hour had passed without me noticing. I wrote about it at the time here. I realised that this tuba would be a very good companion to my Besson, particularly on some of the gigs which would suit a smaller bass tuba (Shibusashirazu, Orquesta Libre, and the current production of "K.Faust" which I'm involved in, for example).
Well, finally I took one home today, bought from the fantastic shop TUBA 88, with the kind help, amazing service and quite incredible attention to detail of Mr. Masanori Nakamura. I wholeheartedly recommend visiting his shop, or if you aren't in Tokyo, do check out his website here.

With Tuba Master Nakamura San

Anyway, I won't bang on about the instrument, as there's a fair amount of information about it online.

But here's some photos of it, in all its handmade beauty! Now I just need to learn to play an F tuba......

2 New Releases, Europe and Fuji Rock

EUROPE

Greetings! I've just returned from a two-week European tour with Orquesta Libre, and it was a really fantastic time. The audiences in England, Denmark, Bavaria and Switzerland were brilliant and it was great catching up with family, old friends and making some new ones. And everyone was so kind to us, and the food was amazingly good! That's not how I remember Europe!!

 Good times in Passau

Mama Carola's incredible Tirolean cuisine!

A real high point was our stay in Passau, in Bayern on the Austrian border. We stayed with the wonderful Mama and Papa Carola and Heinz, who looked after us so well. Carola seemed to have a constant supply of delicious hearty Bavarian specialities flying out of her kitchen, while Heinz had a truly remarkable schnapps collection in which he indulged us with glee. And the concerts at the Cafe Museum at Passau were also fantastic, a very attentive audience who loved our versions of Kurt Weill.
It was a wonderful time, and we're all hoping that a European tour will become an annual tradition!

NEW RELEASES

While I was away, there have been two new releases. The first is a pop record. I play on two tracks on the new CD by singer/songwriter Angela Aki, "Blue".

I play on the title track-

And the track "Monster"-

You can buy it HERE

The other new release is the online release of a very special live set by Orquesta Libre-

Volume 3 of our "Live at Pit Inn" series features special guests pianist Suga Dairo, and tap dancers Uragami Yuji and Ron x II, playing a set of new arrangements of Duke Ellington, It truly was an amazing performance, and I strongly recommend picking this one up! It's available for download HERE

FUJI ROCK 2012

As I mentioned here a couple of weeks ago, this year is my first Fuji Rock, and I'll be playing twice, this Sunday, 29th July, with both Orquesta Libre (special guest Ohata Yuichi), and Shibusashirazu Orchestra. Both sets are taking place at Orange Court. Orquesta Libre start at 13:20, and Shibusashirazu start at 21:00. I hope to see you there! They say Fuji Rock is one for the wellies (like it's UK equivalent Glastonbury), but this year it looks like it will be an absolute scorcher! Boots and sunblock?

Summer 2012

Here's a little update on my comings and goings this summer.


Orquesta Libre have a busy time lined up. From June 20-22 we are in residence at Shinjuku Pit Inn, with three very different sets. On the 20th we are joined by singer and guitarist Yanagihara Yoichiro. On the 21st, we will perform with singer and guitarist Ohata Yuichi, and on the 22nd we will play a tribute to Duke Ellington, with pianist Suga Dairo and tap dancers Ron x II.
On July 4th, Orquesta Libre will release two debut albums! A 2 disc set named「うたのかたち」"The Song's Shape" featuring Messrs. Yanagihara and Ohata, and the instrumental album "Can't Help Falling In Love".


Orquesta Libre are:
芳垣安洋Yasuhiro Yoshigaki(ds,arr)
青木タイセイTaisei Aoki(tb,pianica,arr)
塩谷博之Hiroyuki Shiotani(ss,cl)
藤原大輔Daisuke Fujiwara(ts)
渡辺隆雄Takao Watanabe(tp)
ギデオン・ジュークスGideon Juckes(tuba)
高良久美子Kumiko Takara(vib.pianica)
鈴木正人Masato Suzuki(b,arr)
椎谷求Motomu Shiiya(g,steel-g)
岡部洋一Yoichi Okabe(perc)


Then in mid-July we're off on a whistle stop tour of Europe for two weeks. I'll be posting full details as soon as they emerge, but it's looking very exciting.


When we get back, I'll be playing at Fuji Rock on July 29th. It's my first time, and I'm performing in two different groups! Orquesta Libre and Shibusashirazu Orchestra. It's also funny that all the members of Nerima Tea Club will be there performing on that day, just in different bands!
Time Out Tokyo questioned wether this was the most boring Fuji Rock line-up yet, but taking a quick look at the lineup for the day I'm there, I see that Jack White, Radiohead and At The Drive In are playing, so I'd be prone to disagree!


Then in August Shibusa will be playing at Toyama Hotfield Festival. Looking forward to visiting that area for the first time, and checking out the excellent local food and drink.


That's how it's looking so far, I'll post any updates. Hope to see you there!
Keep takin' her easy!
Gid

New release: the HIATUS / Updated Discography, 2011

So I thought I'd begin with my updated discography. The new album "A World Of Pandemonium" by the HIATUS has just been released, and I'm playing on track 8- "Shimmer". The recording was quite challenging for me, as the arrangement was quite involved, and the french horn players in the same session were amazing! I had a listen to the finished product in a record shop in Kyoto the other day, and I really like the sound of the finished track!

Discography

"A World Of Pandemonium" (2011)(フォーライフミュージック)- the HIATUS (Playing on Track 8 "Shimmer") BUY IT HERE

"Suteki na Kanshibari ONCE IN A BLUE MOON OST (2011)- Koki Mitani (King Records) BUY IT HERE

闇夜でダンス (2011)- Asakusa Jinta (ケイエスアール) (guest on track one "雷鳴之ジンタ") BUY IT HERE

......
YES (2011)- Yamp Kolt (Cemetry Records) BUY IT HERE

LIVE! (2010)- Tokyo Slim (地底レコード) BUY IT HERE

BUDDY (2010)- The Raymond MacDonald International Big Band (Textile Records) BUY IT HERE

LIVESTOCK (2010)- Farmyard Animals Trio (Voidfiller) BUY IT HERE

SHIBU-KURI LIVE (2010) - Yoshiyuki Kawaguchi with Shibusashirazu Orchestra (Saboten) BUY IT HERE

SHIBU-KURI LIVE (2010) - Yoshiyuki Kawaguchi with Shibusashirazu Orchestra and Kuricorder Quartet (Saboten) BUY IT HERE

..
SHIBU-KURI LIVE - SHIBU HEN DVD (2010) - Yoshiyuki Kawaguchi with Shibusashirazu Orchestra (Saboten) BUY IT HERE

SHIBUYOTABI (2010) - Shibusashirazu Orchestra- CD and DVD (Plankton) BUY IT HERE

HADAKA NO HOSHI 裸の星 (2010)- CICALA MVTA. BUY IT HERE

UMBRELLOWHEAD (2009)- 3 tracks, "Unclothed Nocturnal Manuscript Crisis"(Bellowhead), "Gujo Ondo"(Setsubun Bean Unit) and "Marunouchi"(Farmyard Animals Trio) (Megaphone) BUY IT
HERE

SETSUBUN BEAN UNIT (Japanese Release, one bonus track (2009)- SETSUBUN BEAN UNIT (AWDR/L2-BounDee) BUY IT HERE

SHIBUKURI- Yoshiyuki Kawaguchi+Kuricorder Quartet with Shibusashirazu Orchestra (2009) (Saboten) BUY IT HERE

LIFE BEGINS AT 40- Yoshiyuki Kawaguchi (2009) (Saboten) BUY IT HERE

DIRECTING 14 JACKSON POLLOCKS- Graham Collier (2009) BUY IT HERE

WHITE KNIGHT CHRONICLES (Official Soundtrack)- Nishiura Tomohito (2009) (Level-5) BUY IT HERE

LIVE AT SHEPHERD'S BUSH EMPIRE DVD (2009) - Bellowhead (Westpark) BUY IT HERE

MATACHIN (2008)- Bellowhead (Navigator) BUY IT HERE

DREAMS OF BREATHING UNDERWATER (2008)- Eliza Carthy (Topic) BUY IT HERE

WAITLESS (2008)- Empty Boat (Poo Productions) BUY IT HERE

AGATHE CLERY (Soundtrack) (2008)- Bruno Coulais, Matthew Herbert+Crapou (Milan Music) BUY IT HERE

SETSUBUN BEAN UNIT (2007)- Setsubun Bean Unit (Accidental) BUY IT HERE

SLAPPERS (2006)- Dani Siciliano (K7) BUY IT HERE

BURLESQUE (2006)- Bellowhead (Westpark) BUY IT HERE

MUL SHESHE (2005)- Fantazia (Harmonia Mundi) BUY IT HERE

FARMYARD ANIMALS! (2004)- Farmyard Animals Trio (Voidfiller) BUY IT HERE

THE VERY TINY LITTLE KIDS (2002)- The Very Tiny Little Kids (voidfiller) BUY IT HERE (follow the store link, last page)

SAADIA (2000)- Abdelkader Saadoun

HELIOCENTRIC (2000)- Paul Weller (Universal/Island) BUY IT HERE

THE HOSPITAL RADIO REQUEST LIST VOL 1- Various Artists (2000) (Sink and Stove Records) BUY IT HERE

L'ESPAGNOLE (1999)- Abdelkader Saadoun

SQUARE ONE (1999)- John Bennett Band (JBB) BUY IT HERE

....